After losing the strawweight title at UFC 274 in May, Rose Namajunas also put herself out of title contention for the time being. Current champion Carla Esparza is likely facing former champion Zhang Weili next, leaving “Thug Rose” doing the waiting game, at least in her division.
But in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, the 30-year-old ex-champion opened the idea of moving up to flyweight and fighting Valentina Shevchenko, whom she considers a friend.
“She is amazing in all ways, and I have felt what she feels like in practice,” Namajunas said of Shevchenko.